Ball-retarder for bowling-alleys



(No Model.)

J. H. WINN. BALL RETARDER FOR BOWLING ALLEYs. No. 499,075. Patented June 6, 1893.

I IIIIIIIIIIIII/ &

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. WINN, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALL-RETARDER FOR BOWLlNG-ALLEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,075, dated June 6, 1893.

' Application filed January 14, 1893. Serial No. 45 8,338. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WVINN, of WVinchester, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ball-Retarders for Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved appliance for checkingthe speed of returned balls on a bowling alley. Ordinarily, the balls used for bowling are sent to the head of the alley, for renewed service, on a trough that descends toward the players stand, and is arranged at the side of the alley, for convenience. As bowling balls are of a considerable size and weight, the momentum they acquire by their traverse of the trough which returns them for use, causes a forcible impact of the moving ball upon such as are at rest in the trough at the head of the bowling alley, thereby causing injury to the balls so that they soon become irregular in form, and frequently are split or chipped out by the force of the impinge of one ball upon another.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical attachment for the return trough of a bowling alley, which will automaticallycheck the speed of the balls as they are successively returned to the point from which they are bowled, and thus prevent any injurious percussion of one bowling ball upon another.

To this end, my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section,of the improvement in place on a ball-returning trough shown in part and with a ball thereon. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the improvement, and other parts, on the line 22 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a partly sectional and broken side view of a modified detail of construction of the improvement.

The novel ball retarder consists essentially of an arch A, that is secured by its ends transversely upon the trough B, as indicated in Fig. 2, the arch A being of such a proportionate height and width as will permit the free passage of a ball 0, below it on the trough, said arch being placed near the point where the balls are to be retained for players use. Upon the top of the arch A, at its transverse center, a base plate D is secured, said piece having a proper width and length to afford support for other attached parts.

Upon the upper surface and at one end of the base plate D, that is nearest to the end of the alley whereon the ten-pins are set up, a dash-pot E, is located and secured, the use of which will be explained, and at a suitable distance from the dash-pot, a post F, is erected on the base plate D, at its transverse center. The post F, is of a correct height for the proper support of the tilting-bar G, which is thereto pivoted, as shown in Fig. 1.

There is such a length given to the portion of the tilting bar G, that projects toward the dash-pot E, as will allow the upper end of the piston rod I, to have a link a pivotally between it and the end of the tilting bar that is thus extended as at a, 05 the piston rod being thus maintained in a vertical plane so that its head I), may be slid without strain within the dash-pot when the tilting bar is vibrated to effect such a result. The portion of the bar G, which is projected beyond the post F, and away from the dash-pot E, is made considerably longer than the part between the post and the dash-pot, and as the tilting bar is preferably constructed of iron, it will be seen that the excess of weight will cause the longer portion of the bar to incline toward the trough B, as represented in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

There is a wooden extension piece J, affixed upon the free end of the tilting bar G, which is so proportioned in length as to normally locate its lowest end near the trough B, but not in contact with it. On the lower surface of the piece J, a strip of leather or of other slightly yielding material 0 is secured, so as to provide a cushioned face for the lower side of the extension piece.

The tilting bar G, is adjusted for height of its longest member, or part that inclines toward the trough B, by adjustable prop M, that projects from the base plate D, and whereon a cushion e, of gum or like material, is by preference placed to receive the impact of the ICO bar G, when it vibrates, the vertical adjustment of the prop piece serving to regulate the height of the piece J, from the trough B. At the bottom of the dash-pot E, a small air dischargehole g is formed, which may be graduated in size by an adjustment of the slide valve h, or a like device for the regulation of air escape from the dash-pot.

In service, the working parts of the improved ball retarder, will normally assume the position shown in Fig. 1, so that a ball, such as C, that rolls rapidly toward the inclined extension piece J, will forcibly strike its cushioned face 0, and cause the bar G to vibrate and suddenly compact the air in the dash-pot E, by a depression of the plunger head I). The elasticity of the air under compression in the dash-pot forms a cushion which will absorb the force of the blow struck by the ball 0 upon the lower part of the piece J, so that an arrest of the ball is thus produced without injury thereto. The gradual escape of air from the orifice g, due to a downward movement of the plunger head I), that is ef-.

fected by the gravity of the ball C, which rests against the extension piece J, allows the latter to gradually vibrate upward at its engaged end, and release the ball C, that will then roll gently to the point where it is to stop, close to the hand of the player. WVhen the ball 0 has passed below the lower terminal of the extension piece J, the weight of the tilting bar G, and the attached extension piece J, will cause said parts to drop into the position shown in Fig. 1, ready to arrest another ball.

In Fig. 3, there is a spiral spring 0, substituted for the dash-pot E, said spring being seated upon the base plate D, the rod 1, being extended below the radial flange 1', that is formed on said rod or thereto affixed, and receives the vertical pressure of the spring in service, the rod having a sufficient length to permit its lower portion to pass loosely th rough and vibrate in a perforation formed for its reception in the base plate D.

While it is preferred to sustain the ball retarding device upon the arch A, as has been described, it is evident that the base plate D may also be supported upon an upright standard erected from the floor of the room wherein the bowling alley is situated, by an attachment of one leg of the arch thereto, and removing the other part of said archthat depends from the base plate; hence it is not desired to limit the construction to the precise means shown for supporting the tilting bar G, and other parts of the device in connection with the returning trough B, the essential feature of the invention comprising the cushioning device substantially as shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A bowling ball retarder, comprising a vibratable barthat receives the impact of a rolling ball near oneend, and is cushioned at the opposite end by air pressure,substantially as described.

2. A bowling ball retarding device, comprising a tilting bar weighted near one end and pivotally sustained nearits opposite end, longitudinally inclined above a ball returning trough and receiving the impact of a returned ball below its weighted end, and having its other end link connected with a shock absorbing device, substantially as described.

3. In a bowling ball retarder, the combination, with a tilting bar pivotally sustained in an inclined position longitudinally above a ball returning trough, of a dash pothaving its plunger rod link connected to the upper end of the tilting bar, substantially as described.

4. In a bowling'ball retarder, the combination, with a returning trough, an arch transversely secured thereon, and a base plate on the arch and extending longitudinally of the trough, of a tilting bar pivoted on a post erected from the base plate, a cushioned Weighted extension on the tilting bar, and a' dash pot device having the rod of its plunger loosely joined by a link to the other endof saidbar and said dash pot being also adapted for a graduated air discharge therefrom, substantially as described.

' JAMES H. lVINN.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. TwoMBLY,

FRANK W. WINN. 

